Columbia Journalism ReviewKate Zernike finished it in November of 2001. “In many ways, it was strange for me [to read it on Monday], because I was reading it as a regular reader. I did wonder, ‘Does this stand up to the test of time?’ …The lede was largely my lede, because I remember writing it.”

She tells Lauren Kirchner in a Q-and-A:

I have not had a single reader write to me and say, “Why did you waste all this time on him?” My friends who are readers have sort of impressed upon me the historic element of this, more than maybe I realized myself. And I’ve gotten a lot of reader feedback saying that it was great to have this historical background and just sort of understand again—because, again, we’ve stopped talking about bin Laden—so I think it was really important for people to be reminded of just why he came to loom so large over our country.

Project for Excellence in Journalism
So far the coverage has defied the tendency seen in many major national news events to turn quickly partisan, according to Pew’s Project for Excellence in Journalism. The mainstream media’s major themes: Trying to parse out the details leading up to and during the raid, and sorting through the national and international reaction to it. Pew examine more than 120,000 news stories, 100,000 blog posts, and 6.9 million posts on Twitter or Facebook and found that:

* The largest share of discussion on Facebook and Twitter, (19 percent) has involved people sharing jokes. The second largest theme (17 percent) involved the question of whether bin Laden was really dead.
* One quarter (25 percent) of the mainstream media coverage involved reconstructing the commando mission at bin Laden’s secret hiding place. Read more

Gwen Ifillreports in the National Journal:
* Jeff Zeleny of the New York Times was watching “The King’s Speech” on pay per view at home.
* David Sanger, another Timesman, was in Brussels working on a NATO story.
* Tom Gjelten of NPR was on a late-night run to the drug store.
* James Kitfield of National Journal was in Houston hotel room with a glass of brandy, working on stories.
* Helene Cooper of the New York Times was at home watching a recording of the royal wedding. Read more

Now Dan Mitchell has given me the opportunity to explain my thinking. In a SF Weekly post headlined “No, Twitter hasn’t replaced CNN,” Mitchell writes, “In the wake of the assassination, new-media pundits are hailing the event as another victory for social media over traditional media.”

Referring to my description of Athar as a citizen journalist, Mitchell writes, “Because he wondered on Twitter, in real time, now he’s a ‘citizen journalist.’ … Wondering on Twitter why there are helicopters flying around your neighborhood isn’t journalism.”

Romenesko Misc.
“60 Minutes” has released a partial transcript of its interview with President Obama, which airs on Sunday. “It is important for us to make sure that very graphic photos of somebody who was shot in the head — are not floating around– as– an incitement to additional violence,” he says. “As a propaganda tool. You know, that’s not who we are. You know, we don’t trot out this stuff as trophies.” || Read New York Times’ story on the decision. Read more

Something interesting has happened since news broke that Osama bin Laden had been shot and killed. We have already received different accounts from government officials about what happened during the American raid on the compound in Pakistan.

In a live chat, which you can replay below, I talked with Ben Montgomery, a narrative writer at Poynter’s St. Petersburg Times, about the use of the word narrative, and how it differs from a report. Read more

Editor’s note: On May 12, news broke that the White House had decided to stop its practice of re-enacting photos for still photographers. Our story on that decision is here. Below is Poynter.org’s original story on this issue.

Women’s Wear Daily
“As a moment of time captured, it’s very powerful,” says Bloomberg Businessweek creative director Richard Turley. “It’s quite a human picture isn’t it: The way Obama kind of tucked himself into the corner, the body language on everyone.” Newsweek photo director Scott Hall tells John Koblin: “What’s most interesting to me about this photo is what you’re not seeing. The mystery of what’s happening off camera is captured wholly in the expression on Hillary’s face.” || Associated Press: What exactly were they watching on that video screen? || More from Joel Achenbach.A Reuters shooter on racing to the WH to record historyRead more